Forex traders have attributed the recent stability of the naira to the success of Nigeria’s currency swap agreement with China and the growing adoption of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) foreign currency trading.

The currency swap agreement allows Chinese traders in Nigeria to collect naira for yuan instead of dollars, reducing dependence on the greenback and easing pressure on the local currency. The agreement, first signed in April 2018 for three years, enabled the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) to swap up to $2.5 billion, facilitating bilateral trade and investment. In December 2024, the Federal Government renewed a $2 billion deal with China to continue promoting economic cooperation.

Speaking to Nairametrics, President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadebe, highlighted the contribution of the swap and P2P trading to market stability. “The Chinese are now collecting naira for yuan, doing P2P. Go to any mining factory and you will see a Chinese man in Nigeria. These two factors are working right now. There is a lot of liquidity in the market,” he said.

Gwadebe explained that Nigerians importing goods from China now only need yuan, bypassing dollars entirely. “Why am I converting from naira to dollar? No, it doesn’t make sense. You collect my naira for yuan in China, then what am I talking about? I don’t go through dollars,” he added.

However, other traders note that the swap agreement has limited impact on everyday transactions. Yusuf, a currency trader, said, “Many Nigerian traders still prefer USD because it is more widely accepted globally. Even Chinese suppliers often ask for dollars, not naira or yuan. The swap is helpful, but on the ground, its impact on the black market is very small.”

Yusuf also highlighted that P2P and the swap deal do not significantly influence remittances, school fees abroad, medical bills, or other foreign payments, as yuan is not widely available in local street markets.

Despite these limitations, the swap agreement has strategic importance. It enables direct trade between Nigeria and China in local currencies, helps cut dollar demand, supports foreign reserves, and strengthens bilateral economic ties. Nevertheless, since imports from China account for only about 20% of Nigeria’s total annual imports, the swap alone cannot fully resolve dollar scarcity in the country.

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